AdvoCat 2015 07
We usually try to give you some fun stuff before asking you to take action, but cubs, kittens and cats just can't wait!
Top Shocking Incidents
of Big Cat Exploitation – July 2015
We hope by sharing a new list with you each month that you will join us in speaking out for the big cats and cubs that are exploited across this country every day. We encourage you to take one small action today and contact one or more of the offenders below to politely express your concern. Together we can be the voice for the voiceless...together we can make a difference. If you learn of exotic cats or cubs being exploited in your area, please contact Susan Bass at Susan.Bass@BigCatRescue.org
No. 1 WFLA News Channel 8, the NBC affiliate in Tampa, Florida, is ONCE AGAIN promoting the exploitation of tiger cubs at a nearby roadside zoo called Dade City’s Wild Things. The television station’s Facebook post (pictured here) and the piece that aired repeatedly on their news programs are basically advertisements for this deplorable backyard zoo with numerous violations of the Animal Welfare Act going back years! How in the world can this station consider this “news?”Please politely reach out to WFLA’s management and ask them to STOP promoting and encouraging tiger and lion cub exploitation at Dade City’s Wild Things. Email management and the news desk here:General Manager Andy Alford aalford@wfla.comVice President of News William Berra bberra@wfla.comDigital Content Manager Jason Clough jclough@wfla.comNews Desk news@wfla.comCall the station at (813) 221-5788 
No. 2 The United Methodist Church in Sanger, California recently brought in an adult cheetah to “entertain” the children attending their vacation bible school. According to a newspaper article in the Sanger Herald, “the theme of the church’s summer program was “Circus of Faith.” I swear we didn’t make that up. The article also claims the cheetah “was a little stressed” being in a church surrounded by over 100 people. Big Cat Rescue believes both the newspaper reporter and the church would benefit from becoming educated about big cats and learning that they should NOT be used and exploited for entertainment. Would you please politely reach out to the church and also the Sanger Herald?Read the article in the Sanger Herald:https://thesangerherald.com/articles/2015/07/23/lifestyles/doc55b0ecc0e584a095834459.txtEmail the church at sangermethodist@verizon.netPost a comment on the church’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sanger.churchEmail the Sanger Herald at sangerherald@gmail.com 
No. 3 The University of North Alabama has two adult lions living on campus. The school has kept lions for over 40 years! The current “mascot” lions have lived at the college since 2002. It’s time that the school – which has just hired Dr. Ken Kitts as its new president -- becomes more forward thinking and commits to ending this ridiculous “tradition” when these two lions pass. A recent local newspaper article claims the lions “inspire school spirit.” We believe the lions inspire impressionable college students to incorrectly believe big cats can be used for entertainment, exploited by humans and make good pets. Please politely contact the school and let President Kitts know animal lovers would like to see this tradition end. Ask him to not acquire new lions once the current 13-year-old pair pass on.Contact UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts via email at kkitts@una.edu or via Twitter at @ken_kitts 
No.4 Wild bobcats in California need your help! Most people don’t realize it is still legal in California to hunt bobcats. The California Fish & Game Commission will be voting on August 5 on a bill that would BAN bobcat trapping state-wide. Right now, trappers set up their traps on private property and stalk the Internet for people posting where bobcats were seen in California. Trappers get $600-$1000 for bobcat pelts.California bobcats, once trapped, are shot in the head and skinned for their fur, which is then sold and sent to China, Russia and Europe, where demand has sadly increased. Please help bobcats by contacting the Fish & Game Commission. Say you Support Option #2 – a "Complete Ban" on bobcat trapping!!Email: fgc@fgc.ca.govTwitter: @CaliforniaDFW @JerryBrownGov
No. 5 Domestic cats and kittens need your help! USDA is currently accepting comments regarding a petition asking USDA to require laboratories that experiment and conduct “research” on cats and other animals to provide specific information about how they are using the animals. Big Cat Rescue believes if more people become aware of the horrific abuse and torture cats are enduring, the public will no longer support such labs.Please submit your comments IN FAVOR of AMENDING THE ANIMAL WELFARE REGULATIONS TO REQUIRE LABS TO PROVIDE SPECIFIC INFO ABOUT HOW THEY ARE USING ANIMALS here: https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2015-0033The deadline to submit a comment is Aug. 24, 2015.No. 6 Cecil the lion was allegedly lured out of the refuge where he had been a celebrity, of sorts, with tourist to be shot with a bow and arrow and then killed after languishing for 40 hours. You can read more about this tragedy here: https://blog.humanesociety.org/wayne/2015/07/cecil-lion-killed-by-trophy-hunter.html?credit=blog_post_072915_idhome-page
But What Can YOU Do About It?
You can ask the USFWS to list the lion as endangered. They have been disregarding our proposal from 2011 for 4 years now and it cost Cecil his life. https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=6653&s_src=blog_post_072915_idhome-page
Happy International Tiger Day
Feel free to use our banners on your Facebook page to show your love of tigers on their special day.
Big Cat Videos Since Last Month
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsmHBgbkKIERsX0faHHQWq9UdQskxJnVJ
Four Bobcat Kittens at Big Cat Rescue
Have you "met" Phoenix, Captiva, Rain and Dancer the tiny bobcat kittens yet? The cuteness factor is almost too much to bear. Their stories started off sad, but they are well on their way to living free, the way bobcats are meant to live. Check in on their progress here...
Saving Jaguars in Belize
Two wild jaguars, named Lady Hill and Mistletoe, were deemed nuisance cats because they came into very close proximity to where people reside. In order to spare their lives they were trapped and taken to the Belize Zoo which is a sanctuary for native wildlife that can not be released back into the wild. This zoo does not buy, breed or sell their cats. Had these two jaguars not been removed, they would have been terminated by the government. Find out more at SAVEJAGS
Small Cat Fun Area Starts to Take Shape
We now have the bottom row of wire up on the East and most of the North sides of the cage, but there will be two more rows of wire atop this one, as this is only 5 feet high. It is the basis of setting the shape of the cage to be sure we have enough curves to keep it strong in a hurricane. It rains every day, but we do strive to make progress on the Small Cat Fun cage every day. Most of the work up until now has been the sort of thing that hasn’t been very interesting, for the purpose of follow up stories, but now you can actually see the progress. See how it is coming along...
Our work is hard, but helping us do it shouldn't be
GoodWorld is the first donation solution to work seamlessly on Facebook. It also works on Twitter.Big Cat Rescue signed up with GoodWorld so that when we need the help of our social supporters we can just ask them to go to the comments section, in Facebook and write #donate and the dollar amount they want to give. See how easy it is here...
NEW BOOK - The Dunking
Many of you still mention to events of the day that Shere Khan dunked China Doll and she punished him by not letting him get out of the lake. You haveasked us to make it into a book and FINALLY it is done.The book has the full story illustrated by 140 color photos of that funny afternoon.Book Description: Two tigers, plus two big red balls, plus a lake equals one tiger dunking another, getting in trouble and being banished from land. Will the tiger friends make-up?Beautifully illustrated with over 140 color photographs of two tigers named China Doll and Shere Khan.Book Links:1)n iBook on iTunes:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-dunking/id1023689842?ls=1&mt=112) Kindle Book on Amazon: Coming soon3) PDF If you prefer to view the storybook as a PDF emaillawanna.mitchell@BigCatRescue.org for the download link.
